AGNC Investment Corp. Announces First Quarter 2021 Financial Results

BETHESDA, Md., April 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AGNC Investment Corp. ("AGNC" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: AGNC) today announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2021.

FIRST QUARTER 2021 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

• $1.33 comprehensive income per common share, comprised of:
• $1.77 net income per common share
• $(0.44) other comprehensive loss ("OCI") per common share on investments marked-to-market through OCI
• $0.76 net spread and dollar roll income per common share, excluding estimated "catch-up" premium amortization benefit ¹
• Includes $0.29 per common share of dollar roll income associated with the Company's $32.0 billion average net long position in forward purchases and sales of Agency mortgage-backed securities ("MBS") in the "to-be-announced" ("TBA") market
• Excludes $0.40 per common share of estimated "catch-up" premium amortization benefit due to change in projected constant prepayment rate ("CPR") estimates
• $17.72 tangible net book value per common share as of March 31, 2021
• Increased $1.01 per common share, or 6.0%, from $16.71 per common share as of December 31, 2020
• $0.36 dividends declared per common share for the first quarter
• 8.2% economic return on tangible common equity for the quarter
• Comprised of $0.36 dividends per common share and $1.01 increase in tangible net book value per common share

OTHER FIRST QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

• $90.3 billion investment portfolio as of March 31, 2021, comprised of:
• $63.6 billion Agency MBS
• $24.8 billion net TBA mortgage position
• $1.9 billion credit risk transfer ("CRT") and non-Agency securities
• 7.7x tangible net book value "at risk" leverage as of March 31, 2021
• 8.0x average tangible net book value "at risk" leverage for the quarter
• Cash and unencumbered Agency MBS totaled approximately $5.2 billion as of March 31, 2021
• Excludes unencumbered CRT and non-Agency securities and assets held at the Company's broker-dealer subsidiary, Bethesda Securities
• 24.6% portfolio CPR for the quarter
• 11.3% average projected portfolio CPR as of March 31, 2021
• 2.00% annualized net interest spread and TBA dollar roll income for the quarter, excluding estimated "catch-up" premium amortization benefit
• Excludes 95 bps of "catch-up" premium amortization benefit due to change in projected CPR estimates
• 13.4 million shares, or $215 million, of common stock repurchased during the quarter ²
• Represents 2.5% of common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2020
• $16.05 per share average repurchase price, inclusive of transaction costs

MANAGEMENT REMARKS
"AGNC's 8.2% economic return in the first quarter of 2021 represented our fourth consecutive quarter of unannualized economic returns of 7.5% or more, and, at $17.72 per common share, our tangible net book value per common share now exceeds the pre-COVID level of $17.66 as of December 31, 2019," said Gary Kain, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer.  "Importantly, we achieved this result despite a significant increase in longer term interest rates during the quarter, again highlighting the importance and value of AGNC's disciplined investment framework and high quality risk management.

"From its low in August 2020, the ten-year Treasury yield increased nearly 125 basis points to the first quarter high of 1.74%.  AGNC's asset portfolio, which included a combination of lower coupon generic securities and higher coupon specified pools, performed very well during the quarter.  Our higher coupon specified pools were only marginally lower in price during the quarter, as the benefits of slower projected prepayments outweighed the duration impact associated with higher discount rates.  Additionally, our hedge portfolio, which was comprised mainly of intermediate and longer-term hedges, contributed to our positive results, with hedge gains exceeding the aggregate price declines on our asset portfolio.

"With interest rates now meaningfully higher, a significant amount of mortgage duration extension has already occurred.  At this higher rate level, prepayment speeds for Agency MBS should moderate in the coming months, which we expect will improve the realized carry on our higher coupon specified pool positions as well as benefit the broader mortgage market through reduced supply."

"AGNC also generated strong earnings in the first quarter, with net spread and dollar roll income  totaling $0.76 per common share," said Peter Federico, the Company's President and Chief Operating Officer.  "The catalysts for AGNC's earnings were favorable short-term funding, attractive TBA dollar roll opportunities, and beneficial hedging arrangements that we entered into during last year's pandemic-related market disruptions. Together, these components have enabled us to generate $2.90 per common share of net spread and dollar roll income over the last twelve months.  Over the same period, AGNC generated an economic return of 40.7% for our stockholders, comprised of $1.44 in dividends per common share and $4.10 increase in our net tangible book value. 

"Notably, our strong first quarter results were achieved with lower incremental risk, as evidenced by lower average tangible 'at risk' leverage of 8.0x, down from 8.4x the previous quarter, and a substantial increase in our hedge ratio, which totaled 98% of our funding liabilities at quarter end.  Finally, we continued to demonstrate our commitment to stockholder-friendly capital markets activities by repurchasing $215 million, or 13.4 million shares, of our common stock during the first quarter at accretive levels.

"Looking ahead, we continue to believe that the Fed will remain accommodative, maintaining its asset purchase program and near-zero interest rate policy until substantial further economic recovery is achieved.  This favorable backdrop provides an attractive investment landscape for Agency MBS, particularly when viewed relative to elevated valuations for nearly all other asset classes." 

TANGIBLE NET BOOK VALUE PER COMMON SHARE
As of March 31, 2021, the Company's tangible net book value per common share was $17.72 per share, an increase of 6.0% for the quarter, compared to $16.71 per share as of December 31, 2020.  The Company's tangible net book value per common share excludes $526 million, or $1.00 and $0.97 per share, of goodwill as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO
As of March 31, 2021, the Company's investment portfolio totaled $90.3 billion, comprised of:

• $88.3 billion of Agency MBS and TBA securities, including:
• $87.9 billion of fixed-rate securities, comprised of:
• $45.0 billion 30-year MBS,
• $27.1 billion 30-year TBA securities,
• $15.5 billion 15-year MBS,
• $(2.4) billion 15-year TBA securities, and
• $2.6 billion 20-year MBS; and
• $0.4 billion of collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMOs"), adjustable-rate and other Agency securities; and
• $1.9 billion of CRT and non-Agency securities.

As of March 31, 2021, 30-year and 15-year fixed-rate Agency securities represented 80% and 15%, respectively, of the Company's investment portfolio, compared to 79% and 17%, respectively, as of December 31, 2020.

As of March 31, 2021, the Company's fixed-rate securities' weighted average coupon was 2.95%, compared to 2.89% as of December 31, 2020, comprised of the following weighted average coupons:

• 3.10% for 30-year fixed-rate securities;
• 2.22% for 15-year fixed rate securities; and
• 2.49% for 20-year fixed-rate securities.

The Company accounts for TBA securities (or "dollar roll funded assets") as derivative instruments and recognizes dollar roll income in other gain (loss), net on the Company's financial statements.  As of March 31, 2021, the Company's TBA position had a fair value of $24.8 billion and a GAAP net carrying value of $(576) million reported in derivative assets/(liabilities) on the Company's balance sheet, compared to $31.5 billion and $275 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2020.

CONSTANT PREPAYMENT RATES
The Company's investment portfolio had a weighted average CPR of 24.6% for the first quarter, compared to 27.6% for the prior quarter. Due to the significant increase in primary mortgage rates during the first quarter of approximately 50 basis points, the weighted average projected CPR for the remaining life of the Company's Agency securities held as of March 31, 2021 decreased to 11.3% from 17.6% as of December 31, 2020.

The weighted average cost basis of the Company's investment portfolio was 104.1% of par value as of March 31, 2021.  Premium amortization on the Company's investment portfolio for the first quarter was a net benefit of $76 million, or $0.14 per common share, which includes a "catch-up" premium amortization benefit of $213 million, or $0.40 per common share, due to a decline in the Company's projected CPR estimates for securities acquired prior to the first quarter.  This compares to net premium amortization cost for the prior quarter of $(266) million, or $(0.49) per common share, including a "catch-up" premium amortization cost of $(107) million, or $(0.20) per common share.

ASSET YIELDS, COST OF FUNDS AND NET INTEREST RATE SPREAD
The Company's average asset yield on its investment portfolio, excluding the TBA position, was 3.78% for the first quarter, compared to 1.64% for the prior quarter.  Excluding "catch-up" premium amortization, the Company's average asset yield was 2.33% for the first quarter, compared to 2.39% for the prior quarter. Including the TBA position and excluding "catch-up" premium amortization, the Company's average asset yield for the first quarter was 2.02%, compared to 2.07% for the prior quarter.

For the first quarter, the weighted average interest rate on the Company's repurchase agreements was 0.21%, compared to 0.38% for the prior quarter.  For the first quarter, the Company's TBA position had an implied financing benefit of (0.48)%, compared to a benefit of (0.54)% for the prior quarter.  Inclusive of interest rate swaps, the Company's combined average cost of funds for the first quarter was 0.02%, compared to 0.05% for the prior quarter.

The Company's annualized net interest spread, including the TBA position and interest rate swaps and excluding "catch-up" premium amortization, for the first quarter was 2.00%, compared to 2.02% for the prior quarter. 

NET SPREAD AND DOLLAR ROLL INCOME
The Company recognized net spread and dollar roll income (a non-GAAP financial measure) for the first quarter of $0.76 per common share, excluding $0.40 per common share of "catch-up" premium amortization benefit, compared to $0.75 per common share for the prior quarter, excluding $(0.20) per common share of "catch-up" premium amortization cost.

A reconciliation of the Company's net interest income to net spread and dollar roll income and additional information regarding the Company's use of non-GAAP measures are included later in this release.

LEVERAGE
As of March 31, 2021, $55.1 billion of repurchase agreements, $25.4 billion of TBA dollar roll positions (at cost) and $0.2 billion of other debt were used to fund the Company's investment portfolio.  Inclusive of its TBA position and net payable/(receivable) for unsettled investment securities, the Company's tangible net book value "at risk" leverage ratio was 7.7x as of March 31, 2021, compared to 8.5x as of December 31, 2020.  The Company's average "at risk" leverage for the first quarter was 8.0x tangible net book value, compared to 8.4x for the prior quarter.

As of March 31, 2021, the Company's repurchase agreements had a weighted average interest rate of 0.15%, compared to 0.24% as of December 31, 2020, and a weighted average remaining maturity of 73 days, compared to 54 days as of December 31, 2020.  As of March 31, 2021, $24.7 billion, or 45%, of the Company's repurchase agreements were funded through the Company's captive broker-dealer subsidiary, Bethesda Securities, LLC.

As of March 31, 2021, the Company's repurchase agreements had remaining maturities of:

• $42.6 billion of three months or less;
• $5.6 billion from three to six months;
• $6.3 billion from six to twelve months; and
• $0.6 billion from twelve to thirty-six months.

HEDGING ACTIVITIES
As of March 31, 2021, interest rate swaps, swaptions and U.S. Treasury positions equaled 98% of the Company's outstanding balance of repurchase agreements, TBA position and other debt, compared to 80% as of December 31, 2020.

As of March 31, 2021, the Company's interest rate swap position totaled $49.7 billion in notional amount, compared to $43.2 billion as of December 31, 2020.  As of March 31, 2021, the Company's interest rate swap portfolio had an average fixed pay rate of 0.18%, an average receive rate of 0.02% and an average maturity of 4.7 years, compared to 0.15%, 0.08% and 5.1 years, respectively, as of December 31, 2020.  As of March 31, 2021, 74% and 26% of the Company's interest rate swap portfolio were linked to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") and Overnight Index Swap Rate ("OIS"), respectively, compared to 71% and 29%, respectively, as of December 31, 2020.

As of March 31, 2021, the Company had payer swaptions outstanding totaling $13.2 billion, compared to $10.4 billion as of December 31, 2020.  As of March 31, 2021, the Company had net short U.S. Treasury positions outstanding totaling $16.4 billion, compared to $13.1 billion as of December 31, 2020.

OTHER GAIN (LOSS), NET
For the first quarter, the Company recorded a net gain of $471 million in other gain (loss), net, or $0.88 per common share, compared to a net gain of $617 million, or $1.13 per common share, for the prior quarter.  Other gain (loss), net for the first quarter was comprised of:

• $(13) million of net realized losses on sales of investment securities;
• $(955) million of net unrealized losses on investment securities measured at fair value through net income;
• $(12) million of interest rate swap periodic costs;
• $1,136 million of net gains on interest rate swaps;
• $387 million of net gains on interest rate swaptions;
• $858 million of net gains on U.S. Treasury positions;
• $154 million of TBA dollar roll income;
• $(1,080) million of net mark-to-market losses on TBA securities; and
• $(4) million of other miscellaneous losses.

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
During the first quarter, the Company recorded an other comprehensive loss of $(237) million, or $(0.44) per common share, consisting of net unrealized losses on the Company's Agency securities recognized through OCI, compared to $(115) million, or $(0.21) per common share, of other comprehensive loss for the prior quarter.

COMMON STOCK DIVIDENDS
During the first quarter, the Company declared dividends of $0.12 per share to common stockholders of record as of January 29, February 26, and March 31, 2021, respectively, totaling $0.36 per share for the quarter, which were paid on February 9, March 9, and April 12, 2021, respectively.  Since its May 2008 initial public offering through the first quarter of 2021, the Company has declared a total of $10.6 billion in common stock dividends, or $43.24 per common share.

STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM
During the first quarter, the Company repurchased 13.4 million shares, or $215 million, of its common stock for an average repurchase price of $16.05 per common share, inclusive of transaction costs.  As of March 31, 2021, $0.7 billion of common stock remained available for repurchase pursuant to its stock repurchase program through December 31, 2021.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, OPERATING PERFORMANCE AND PORTFOLIO STATISTICS
The following measures of operating performance include net spread and dollar roll income; net spread and dollar roll income, excluding "catch-up" premium amortization; economic interest income; economic interest expense; estimated taxable income; and the related per common share measures and financial metrics derived from such information, which are non-GAAP financial measures.  Please refer to "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information" later in this release for further discussion of non-GAAP measures.

*Except as noted below, average numbers for each period are weighted based on days on the Company's books and records. All percentages are annualized, unless otherwise noted.
Numbers in financial tables may not total due to rounding.

STOCKHOLDER CALL
AGNC invites stockholders, prospective stockholders and analysts to attend the AGNC stockholder call on April 27, 2021 at 8:30 am ET.  Interested persons who do not plan on asking a question and have internet access are encouraged to utilize the free webcast at www.AGNC.com.  Those who plan on participating in the Q&A or do not have internet available may access the call by dialing (877) 300-5922 (U.S. domestic) or (412) 902-6621 (international). Please advise the operator you are dialing in for the AGNC Investment Corp. stockholder call.

A slide presentation will accompany the call and will be available at www.AGNC.com.  Select the Q1 2021 Earnings Presentation link to download and print the presentation in advance of the stockholder call.

An archived audio of the stockholder call combined with the slide presentation will be available on the AGNC website after the call on April 27, 2021.  In addition, there will be a phone recording available one hour after the call on April 27, 2021 through May 11, 2021. Those who are interested in hearing the recording of the presentation, can access it by dialing (877) 344-7529 (U.S. domestic) or (412) 317-0088 (international), passcode 10153567.

For further information, please contact Investor Relations at (301) 968-9300 or IR@AGNC.com.

ABOUT AGNC INVESTMENT CORP.
AGNC Investment Corp. is an internally-managed real estate investment trust ("REIT") that invests primarily in residential mortgage-backed securities for which the principal and interest payments are guaranteed by a U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise or a U.S. Government agency.  For further information, please refer to www.AGNC.com.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act.  Forward-looking statements are based on estimates, projections, beliefs and assumptions of management of the Company at the time of such statements and are not guarantees of future performance.  Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties in predicting future results and conditions.  Actual results could differ materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements due to a variety of important factors, including, without limitation, changes in interest rates, changes in the yield curve, changes in prepayment rates, the availability and terms of financing, changes in the market value of the Company's assets, general economic conditions, market conditions, conditions in the market for Agency securities, and legislative and regulatory changes that could adversely affect the business of the Company.  Certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, are included in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").  Copies are available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov.  The Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements based on the occurrence of future events, the receipt of new information, or otherwise.

USE OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL INFORMATION
In addition to the results presented in accordance with GAAP, the Company's results of operations discussed in this release include certain non-GAAP financial information, including "net spread and dollar roll income," "net spread and dollar roll income, excluding 'catch-up' premium amortization," "economic interest income"  and "economic interest expense" (both components of "net spread and dollar roll income"), "estimated taxable income" and the related per common share measures and certain financial metrics derived from such non-GAAP information, such as "cost of funds" and "net interest spread." 

"Net spread and dollar roll income" is measured as (i) net interest income (GAAP measure) adjusted to include TBA dollar roll income, interest rate swap periodic income/cost and other interest and dividend income (referred to as "adjusted net interest and dollar roll income") less (ii) total operating expense (GAAP measure).  "Net spread and dollar roll income, excluding 'catch-up' premium amortization," further excludes retrospective "catch-up" adjustments to premium amortization cost due to changes in projected CPR estimates.

By providing users of the Company's financial information with such measures in addition to the related GAAP measures, the Company believes users will have greater transparency into the information used by the Company's management in its financial and operational decision-making.  The Company also believes that it is important for users of its financial information to consider information related to the Company's current financial performance without the effects of certain transactions that are not necessarily indicative of its current investment portfolio performance and operations. 

Specifically, in the case of "adjusted net interest and dollar roll income," the Company believes the inclusion of TBA dollar roll income is meaningful as TBAs, which are accounted for under GAAP as derivative instruments with gains and losses recognized in other gain (loss) in the Company's statement of operations, are economically equivalent to holding and financing generic Agency MBS using short-term repurchase agreements.  Similarly, the Company believes that the inclusion of periodic interest rate swap settlements in such measure, which are recognized under GAAP in other gain (loss), is meaningful as interest rate swaps are the primary instrument the Company uses to economically hedge against fluctuations in the Company's borrowing costs and inclusion of periodic interest rate swap settlements is more indicative of the Company's total cost of funds than interest expense alone.  In the case of "net spread and dollar roll income, excluding 'catch-up' premium amortization," the Company believes the exclusion of "catch-up" adjustments to premium amortization cost is meaningful as it excludes the cumulative effect from prior reporting periods due to current changes in future prepayment expectations and, therefore, exclusion of such "catch-up" cost or benefit is more indicative of the current earnings potential of the Company's investment portfolio.  In the case of estimated taxable income, the Company believes it is meaningful information as it is directly related to the amount of dividends the Company is required to distribute in order to maintain its REIT qualification status.

However, because such measures are incomplete measures of the Company's financial performance and involve differences from results computed in accordance with GAAP, they should be considered as supplementary to, and not as a substitute for, results computed in accordance with GAAP.  In addition, because not all companies use identical calculations, the Company's presentation of such non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to other similarly-titled measures of other companies.  Furthermore, estimated taxable income can include certain information that is subject to potential adjustments up to the time of filing the Company's income tax returns, which occurs after the end of its fiscal year.

A reconciliation of GAAP net interest income to non-GAAP "net spread and dollar roll income, excluding 'catch-up' premium amortization" and a reconciliation of GAAP net income to non-GAAP "estimated taxable income" is included in this release.

CONTACT:
Investors - (301) 968-9300
Media - (301) 968-9303

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SOURCE AGNC Investment Corp.